A Day In The Life
by Cross77
Summary: A series of one-shots involving Grant and Kara trying to forget the past, while finding out who they really are. Takes place after my fanfiction, "It Doesn't Matter Anymore". Possible future Skyeward.
1. Of Puppies and Cyborgs

**In which Kara takes in a stray and Grant adopts a cyborg.**

* * *

"This is not happening right now," groaned Grant, running his hands through his dark brown hair as he titled his head to glare at the ceiling accusingly.

"We couldn't just leave him there," protested Kara.

"But now you want to keep him," he huffed indignantly.

"Well, we can't just throw him back out into the world. That would be cruel, Grant. Besides, he likes me."

He glanced down at the puppy in Kara's arms as if it were the source of all the problems in his life. They had taken down another Hydra base. They had pretty much the same objective every time. Release the prisoners, grab objects of possible importance, and blow the place to kingdom come, taking down enemy personnel if necessary. Except after the last base they sent sky-high, his companion, who had managed to figure out her real name, had found a damn Husky pup in the woods. He felt bad for it; he wasn't heartless, contrary to Skye's belief. But they were two fugitives and taking care of puppy wasn't really something they should be doing.

"Kara-"

"Please, Grant," she insisted, tilting her chin down and pouting.

 _Oh no you don't._ "Don't give me that puppy dog look."

"Look at it," she pressed on. "He's scared, hungry, and needs a family. We found him in the woods. The woods! Lost and alone! Doesn't that remind you of someone?"

His jaw twitched and he narrowed his eyes. Yes, it did remind him of someone. Himself. He needed help, someone to care for him, and he never got it. But he could give this puppy the thing that he never had. A family. She was guilt-tripping him and it was working. He sighed, scratching at his beard.

"Fine," he growled.

Her lips curved upward as she grinned at him. "Thank you so much! Oh, this is gonna-"

"You're buying him everything he needs," informed Grant. "And I'm not budging on that."

She nodded eagerly, grabbing her purse from the counter. "Of course! Don't worry, Grant. I'll go right now. This'll be worth it!"

"You'll see!" she added as she sprinted out the door, shutting it behind her.

He glanced down at the Husky, who was currently in a sitting position staring right back at him. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. If Kara Lynn was happy, then he'd have to get used to the dog.

Because she deserved happiness.

They both did.

* * *

A knock on the door woke him from his nap. He sat up quickly and glanced around. Kara wasn't in the room, but she had a key, so she didn't need to knock. Cautiously, he reached for his SIG Sauer P226. He pressed the magazine release, catching the clip and checking to make sure it was a full mag before inserting it back in. The knocking grew more persistent.

"Coming," he called, his voice even as he made his way across the hotel room.

The door had no peephole, so he opened it slightly. His heart froze at the sight of the person standing in front of him. Mike Peterson's scarred face stared back at him, his body covered in a black trench coat and black jeans. _Black on black's my thing,_ he thought momentarily. His gun hand shot up and he leveled the firearm with Mike's head, backing up slightly. "Peterson," he ground out.

The cyborg seemed unfazed with the gun aimed at him, instead gesturing at the doorway. "May I come in?"

Did Peterson seriously think Grant was just going to let him walk right inside? That would be a stupid move. Then again, standing in front of a cyborg with missiles implanted into his forearms was a pretty stupid move as well. This was not happening. Except it was. "You don't have any of those heart stopper things, do you?"

The man cracked a small smile. "Sorry, fresh out of those. I do deeply regret doing what I did to you."

"What are you doing here," he questioned, ignoring the apology.

He shrugged casually. "I caught wind of two people clearing out Hydra bases. I decided to look into it and turns out it was none other than you and Agent 33."

"It's Kara," he growled defensively. "She has a name."

"Sorry," he amended. "You and Kara. You need an extra person?"

Grant frowned. "You serious?"

Mike nodded. "Dead serious. The only condition I have is that we broaden our range. You're taking down brainwashing operations. I want to expand to their incentives program. I was forced to do things I didn't want to do because they had my son. That should never have to happen to anyone. And I want to help stop it."

Grant examined him for a minute, watching his body language for any signs of lies. When he found none, he nodded, lowering his pistol. "Five months ago, I would have put a bullet in you the second I saw you. But now, I'm starting to believe in the whole second chances thing. I want to change, and Kara is giving me the opportunity to do that. So, I'll give you the same chance. Come in."

Mike stepped inside, examining the rundown motel room, the walls and sheets a sickly beige color. Grant kept a watchful eye on him, just in case. But Mike's attention was already focused on the little ball of fur in the corner. "Is that…a puppy?" he asked in disbelief.

Grant laughed loudly. He blinked in surprise as he almost doubled over. It was an honest, genuine laugh. An almost non-existent thing for him. Once he calmed down enough, he gave Mike a smile. "Yeah, Kara found it in the woods outside a Hydra base. She took it upon herself to take it with us and now we're keeping it."

Now, it was Mike's turn to blink in surprise as he knelt down to pet the pup. "You're not the same Grant Ward I remember."

He furrowed his brows. "Really? How can you tell already?"

Peterson smirked up at him. "The Grant Ward I remember wasn't stupid enough to pick up a stray while on the run."

Ward opened his mouth to respond, but at that moment, Kara shuffled through the door, dog food and other paraphernalia in hand. She practically dropped it on the floor in triumph, crossing her arms proudly.

"So, Grant," she turned to face in their direction and paused mid-sentence upon seeing Mike. "Uh…what did I miss?"

* * *

 **AN: This is a series of one-shots that take place after the events of my one-shot, "It Doesn't Matter Anymore". There's going to be fluff and adventure, so let me know what you think. Rated M for future chapters.**


	2. Of Explosions and Other Fun

**In which Kara learns she likes explosions, Grant ponders the past, and Mike is self-conscious about his cybernetic implants.**

* * *

Grant smiled to himself as he entered the Hydra base through the boiler room, closing the manhole behind him as he went. "Mike, you remember what you need to do, right?"

Mike's voice sounded in his comms a few seconds later. "Yeah, get to the east corridor, rescue the incentives, and get the hell out."

"Good. And Kara?"

"Wait for you to lead as much of the opposing force as you can to the west corridor, as far from Mike as possible, and get the drop on them."

"Alright, good luck."

Mike didn't respond, so Grant knew he was already well focused on his task. Kara did though. "This is going to be so much fun," she whispered, a giggle escaping her lips.

Grant frowned as he made his way to boiler room exit. "Did you seriously just giggle? I have never heard Kara Lynn giggle."

"Yeah, well, I'm pumped on adrenaline. Plus, this is so exciting!"

He sighed, reaching down and grasping his silenced pistol. "Just get to work."

"Sir, yes sir!" she said sarcastically, her comms cutting out after that.

Their team was ragtag at best, but they got along nicely. Mike had only been on a few missions with them, but he was an enormous help. He covered the prisoners or incentives while Grant and Kara took out most of the members of the opposing force and obtained intel. Peterson would have been a huge help taking out the main forces, but they wanted the hostages to have the best protection possible. He was good company too. He made both he and Kara laugh, something that Grant thought he would never do again. Plus, the puppy loved him almost as much as Kara. It still hadn't gotten used to Ward, but that was probably because of his almost permanent scowl.

He closed the door behind him, creeping in the shadows as he made his way west. Three lone Hydra operatives walked past him, chatting animatedly about a hockey game. He sprang into action, grabbing one in a chokehold and raising his silenced handgun, pulling the trigger twice. The two bodies fell to the ground and Grant snapped the neck of the man he held. He moved forward, taking down a few Hydra agents along the way. As he neared the west corridor, he paused. "Mike?"

"I'm in position. You are a go for phase two," informed his ally.

 _Showtime._ Taking out an unsilenced pistol, he fired at the ceiling until the clip was empty. He dropped the emptied gun to the ground, backing up against the wall. Alarms began blaring throughout the base as a swarm of twenty agents sprinted into the room, pointing their guns at him. He examined the small army in front of him. Given the decently small size of the building and the amount of agents he killed on his way here, he guessed that this was pretty much the remainder of their forces, with perhaps a few more on the way.

"Hands in the air!" several of them shouted.

Slowly, he raised his hands in the air, taking in the formation of the men surrounding him. Most of them were pressed against the opposite wall. _Good._ "Do it!"

The wall across from him exploded, debris flying and knocking most of the men to the ground. He grabbed one of the soldier's assault rifles, quickly dispatching the remaining hostiles. Kara stepped over the debris and bodies, smirking as she made her way to him. She picked up a gun along the way. "We used some valuable semtex, but that was…wow, that was really fun!"

He smiled briefly in her direction before exiting the room, his partner in tow. "Mike, how we looking?"

"I've got the incentives. We're out of the warehouse. Mission is complete. And Kara's right, that was kinda fun," reported Mike.

Grant chuckled lightly as they sprinted through the empty corridors. "We need to make ourselves scarce before Hydra reinforcements or S.H.I.E.L.D. show up. Kara, did you set the rest of the explosives?"

The woman in question turned slightly to look at him as they ran, holding up a detonator with a wide grin. "Once we get out of range, this place is turning to ash."

He nodded in acknowledgement as they continued on their path. A minute or two later, they threw open the compound's front entrance, making their way to the hidden jeep for extraction, Ward took a moment to consider the turn his life had taken in the past months. He had found a good friend in Kara, taken down Hydra bases, took in a puppy, made friends with Mike Peterson, and pretty much left behind the idea of ever returning to his former team. Once he had mostly come to terms with the fact that they would hate him forever, everything got a little easier. He still had nightmares about his betrayal and the things that were said and done by both himself and his former team members, but he wasn't thinking about them every waking moment. There were still times where waves of regret and hurt would wash over him, and he highly doubted that he would be able to forget them completely. Most of the time, he stuffed his nightmares to the side in favor of helping Kara, who could remember everything she had done under Whitehall, through her own problems.

They hopped into the van, Mike already waiting for them with a smile on his face. Grant jumped in the back while Kara sidled up in the passenger seat, scooching as close to Mike as possible. He rolled his eyes at her antics. His friend had taken a liking to the cyborg, and he wouldn't be surprised if it turned into a crush sooner or later. _That is, if it hasn't already._

Grant turned around, watching as they put more distance between themselves and the warehouse. Finally, he deemed themselves far enough away from the blast radius. "Blow it," he commanded.

Kara wiggled her eyebrows at his word usage and he groaned, covering his face in his hands. She pressed the detonator and he heard the explosives go off as the building began to crumble behind them.

"So…now what?" asked Mike, relaxing in his seat with one hand on the wheel.

"I'm kind of in the mood for a drink," responded Kara.

For once, Grant agreed with her quickly. "God, a good drink sounds really nice right now."

Mike nodded in agreement. "So, nearest bar then?"

"Yep," said Kara, popping the 'p'.

* * *

The three sighed in content, sipping their beers with a satisfied expression on their faces. They were currently situated in a corner booth, invisible to most of the people in the bar. Mike was wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans to cover his cybernetic implants while Kara had on a magenta shirt and short shorts, her hair tied in a ponytail. Grant was clad in his usual black on black, a long-sleeved black shirt, black jeans, black gloves, and a black hat that was titled to cover most of his face.

"So," drawled Kara, burping as she continued. "There's this totally cool zoo nearby and we haven't taken a day off in a while…"

She paused, her implication settling in the silence.

Grant, for the second time that day, agreed with her. He shrugged his shoulders, bringing the cold beer bottle to his lips. "Sure, why not? We could use a break."

Mike frowned, a sad look on his face. "It's supposed to be really hot tomorrow and I don't want to have to hide myself again."

"So don't," supplied Kara with a shrug.

The cyborg's frown deepened. "But then people will stare at me like I'm a monster," he said dejectedly.

Kara's response was blunt. "I'll punch them in the face."

Mike blinked rapidly before bursting into laughter, Grant and Kara following suit.


	3. Of Board Games and Memories

**AN: In which Kara and Mike play a board game that holds strong memories for Grant, and his mind wanders to dark places.**

* * *

He felt like a loner, even in the midst of his two best friends. He felt unwanted, like he didn't matter to them, even though that was a completely unfounded thought. And he knew it. Still, he felt it as he watched them laughing away playing Battleship. Briefly, he wondered if Kara was ever going to ask Mike out, but soon the thought was replaced by him and Skye relaxing and playing the very same board game that his friends were currently engaged in. He brought the cold tip of the beer bottle to his lips, taking a long drink.

 _"Did you just give me a compliment?"_

 _He loved the wide smile she gave him, her eyes shining with happiness._

 _"I-no, I made a comment," he responded, his smile giving away his enjoyment._

 _"A kind one," she noted with a smirk. Leaning forward, she added in a soft whisper, "Did it physically hurt to do that? Do you need an icepack?"_

 _They both laughed, his quiet and reserved and hers bright and full of life. That was one of the things he had really come to like about her, that no matter the situation she seemed so jubilant._

 _"A compliment and a smile," she giggled as his small smile turned into a wide grin at her behavior._

He watched them tease each other. From where he was sitting, he could tell Mike was winning. Kara was doing her famous pouty face, blowing out her cheeks and scrunching her eyebrows together.

"This is not even fair. You're so cheating," she groaned.

Mike laughed brightly. "I don't even think it's possible to cheat at Battleship, Kara. It's a stab in the dark kinda game."

Mike's words caused him to stiffen as Skye's voice rang through his skull. _"Nope. This isn't thinking. This is stabbing in the dark, but it's nice to take a break from the workouts."_

After several more minutes, it looked like their game was finished. He watched in amusement as Kara's frown deepened and she crossed her arms.

"Gah, you won again," she snorted indignantly.

Mike gave her a lopsided smile. "I'm that good."

"Let's go another round," challenged Kara.

" _Say it Ward, say it," she chanted, her entire face showing just how much she was relishing her victory._

 _He sighed in frustration, tapping a finger against the table. "You sank my battleship."_

" _Yes!" snickered Skye._

" _Alright!" he said, leaning forward. "Best two out of three."_

The comparisons kept flashing in front of his eyes. Every little thing that Kara and Mike did reminded him of how everything was before Hydra. The stolen glances Kara shot at Mike reminded him of the ones he saw Skye give him during dinnertime. The way Mike laughed so happily around Kara, and only Kara, reminded him of how Skye was the only one who could coax a real smile out of him.

Suddenly, he found it hard to breathe in the same room as them. He shook himself from his thoughts, leaving the cool bottle on the counter as he walked to his room in their temporary safe house. Grumbling to himself, he pulled on a black hoodie and black gloves to go with his navy blue t-shirt and black jeans. Returning to the living room, he grabbed his SIG Sauer from the counter. He made sure the clip was loaded and the safety on before tugging it into the waistband of his jeans.

Grabbing a key from the little bowl on the counter, he called over his shoulder. "I'm going for a walk."

Locking the door behind him, he slipped the key into his pocket and trudged forward, head hanging low. He pulled the hoodie over his head as his legs led him throughout the empty streets. In the back of his mind, a small voice told him to keep a better eye on his surroundings, especially because it was getting dark, but he couldn't bring himself to listen to it. So, he continued on, just another shadow in the night.

When he stopped to look up, he blinked in confusion as he stood in front of a pond in the middle of a large, grassy park. Skye loved to be anywhere near water. It was one of her favorite places to be and she had told him it was something that helped her relax. As he stared at his dark and gloomy reflection that was barely visible, he wondered what she was doing at that moment. Was she sleeping? Hanging out with FitzSimmons? On a mission? Thinking about how much of a Nazi traitor he was? Had she moved on from him? The thought made his insides churn and he wiped at his face furiously as he felt his eyes water. He crushed the thought quickly because it would destroy him if he dwelled on it for too long.

Running his hand through his messy hair, he thought back to Garrett's instructions before joining the team.

" _Listen kid, you don't need to know much," he had said. "Just that your orders are to investigate Coulson and find out how he is still alive. I need your help in this. We've come so far and now we are so close to the answer that will save my life. Do not get attached to anyone. Keep me updated on any changes within the team, as well as possible threats. Once this is all done, we can quit. Leave Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. behind, scrub our identities, and drink Mai Tai's in Maui for all I care._

It was supposed to be a simple undercover job. That was all it was. He never expected to like any of them, much less every single one of them. Fitz and Simmons reminded him of his younger siblings while Coulson and May were parent figures. And he had fallen hopelessly in love with Skye. If all had gone according to plan, nobody would have even found out he was Hydra. But then one day, Hydra activated its sleeper agents. He wasn't even informed that it would happen. He was devastated, but followed John's orders in that situation.

" _If Hydra activates its sleeper agents, you figure out a way to get away from the team and haul ass to me. We'll go from there, son."_

But toward the end, John had gone insane, dragging Grant into the depths of hell with him. And now, there wasn't a day that went by without him realizing how much of a screw-up he was. He regretted almost every single decision he had ever made in this life. The gun in his waistband felt heavier now and his fingers itched to grasp it and put an end to everything. His hand reached down, fingers tightening around the grip. And then, he thought of Kara. Kara, lost and confused, after Whitehall's death. She was pushing through it, trying to survive. He released his grip on the handgun. If she wasn't taking the easy way out, he didn't get to.

As he stared unwaveringly at the water, he knew he should move on.

But he couldn't.

The team was like a thread he couldn't cut.

She was a thread he couldn't cut.

He turned away and lowered his head once more, shoulders slumping forward in defeat.

 _How can someone move on if they can't let go of what once was?_


	4. Of Nightmares and Comfort

**In which Grant has a nightmare and Kara is there to comfort him.**

* * *

After his visit to the pond, Grant figured everything would be easier. Four days later and every single night had the same ending. He would toss and turn until he fell in a deep, relaxing sleep. And then, hours later, he would be assaulted with horrific images that he couldn't control. All the while, he began to wish he had put a bullet in himself that night at the park.

 _"You're late, Rookie," he called from the punching bag._

 _Skye descended the stairs with a pout on her face, honey brown hair curled. She had on a short-sleeved white shirt and black leggings. She looked good, really good. Then again, she always did. He had an attraction to her that he knew went deeper than physical. For someone with a lot of self-restraint, it took every ounce of willpower to not kiss her and run his hands through her beautiful hair. He wanted her beside him in bed, where he could whisper all the reasons he loved her. Instead, he contented himself with her laugh._

 _"Come on," she whined, "we were up until two in the morning on a mission yesterday. Cut me some slack."_

 _If it was anybody else, he would have scowled and made them do extra pull-ups and pushups. But this was the woman he had fallen in love with. So, he gave her a slight smile and responded with, "Fine. I'll let you off this once."_

 _Her eyes widened in surprise before a wide grin spread across her face. "Really?"_

 _"Really," he confirmed. "But you still have to do ten minutes on the bag to warmup."_

 _They made their way to the benches, where he always wrapped her hands. It was something he enjoyed doing, feeling his rough hands on her impossibly soft ones. He turned around to grab the wraps and suddenly his side exploded in pain as the force of four bullets collided with him. He sunk to the floor, hands flying to his side and becoming coated in blood. So much blood. Thankfully, he didn't hear anymore noises. That meant Skye should be safe._

 _"Skye?" he croaked._

 _When he received no answer, he craned his head to see her emotionless expression, gun smoking in her left hand. His face contorted in horror as he stared at his rookie._

 _"Never turn your back on the enemy, you taught me that."_

The dream continued on repeat, and now he knew what would happen. Still, he did it. He turned his back to grab those wraps every single time, despite knowing that she would be the one to shoot him.

He jolted awake, sweat dripping down his forehead and breathing erratic. He glanced around the hotel room in a frenzied panic and shrunk against the headboard. Nobody could shoot him in the back if his back was against a solid wall. Feeling the bedsheets, he sighed when he found them damp with perspiration.

Suddenly, he sat straighter against the bedpost as a feeling of white-hot anger washed over him. He was angry at himself, John, Coulson, everyone and everything, for his predicament. Even Skye. That thought scared him. In the months after she made her point with the four bullet holes lodged in his side, he had never been so furious with her. But now, he was pissed off. Through all of his suicide attempts, all he needed was a small push in the right direction and he knew he could still be a valuable asset to them. He knew he shouldn't blame them, but if they had just tried…maybe he could have been saved. But instead, he got a, _"you should have run faster"_ from Skye and a _"you aren't getting off that easy"_ from Coulson.

He heard a movement near the door and watched it carefully as it opened slowly. Kara stepped in, slightly unsure of herself in her loose-fitting black pajamas, dark brown hair tied up in a ponytail. Slowly, she made her way to his bed, giving him time to move. He didn't. She sat next to him, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. When he didn't push her away, she began to rub circles into the taut muscles.

"Was it about her?" she whispered.

"Huh?" he grunted.

"Your nightmare, was it about her?"

His throat, which before was moist, now felt extremely dry. He rubbed the area before asking Kara for a water bottle. She nodded, getting up and walking out, before quickly returning and handing it to him.

"Thank you," he croaked, uncapping the bottle and bringing it to his lips. After a few sips, he continued with a frustrated sigh. "No matter what I do, I can't get her out of my head. Everything reminds me of her, and only her. I know that it's stupid – that I'm stupid for still wanting her after everything, but I can't help it, Kara."

"Hey," she whispered, putting an arm around his shoulder and tugging him close, "you'll get through this. When I was released from the brainwashing, I couldn't believe that Whitehall was gone. In my mind, I knew I hated him because of what he did to me. But my heart still told me that I needed to comply. I've mostly learned to let go of it, because now I understand deep down that he was only hurting me." He was silent for a few moments before putting an arm around her. As they held each other, she continued, "What happened in your dream?"

"It was the day after a mission that had us up until two in the morning," he started, finishing his water and setting it aside. "Skye was late for training as per usual, but instead of making her do extra for being late, I cut her some slack. I had this overwhelming urge to kiss her that day," he laughed quietly, "and if not for my self-control, I would have. We walked over to the benches, where I always wrap her hands for the session. It was something simple, yet I loved the feel of her soft skin. When I turned around to grab her wraps, my side just…erupted in pain. I fell to the floor and I was so scared, but not for myself. For her. I was scared that she might die. When I turned around, she was standing there without a trace of emotion and…and she had the gun. And then it just looped. Started from the beginning again. I knew what was going to happen, but I couldn't stop it."

She nodded, rubbing soothing circles into his back. "I'm not so good with the comforting thing, but I know how much you care for her."

"She doesn't," he bit out, hiding his face in his hands.

"Hey," whispered his friend, gently prying his hands away. "Look at me."

After a few moments, he lifted his chin so his gaze was leveled with her soft yet serious face.

"You are right," she said. "She doesn't know how much you care about her. And you know what? That's her loss. It's her fault she'll never have someone as good as you in her life."

"I'm not a good person," he mumbled.

She laughed, actually laughed, at that. Her entire body was shaking as she responded, "Do you hear yourself? You dropped FitzSimmons in the ocean, yes. But if you hadn't, they would for sure be six feet under right now. Even if it didn't work out quite the way you wanted, you gave them a chance to get out. And I guarantee you, every single person on that team knows the pods are supposed to float. They just don't care about that little fact. You may have screwed up a bit with taking Skye to her father, but you had good intentions, Grant. And you helped me. I could tell you were in pain when I had nightmares, but you pushed it aside to comfort me. You took in Mike after everything that's happened between you two. We're taking down bases filled with people who capture and experiment on others. And you love someone. There's this quote that I know, 'Anyone capable of love is capable of being saved.' Remember that."

She stood up to leave, but he grabbed her arm gently to stop her. When she turned to look at him, he spoke softly, "Thank you."

Kara gave him a soft smile and exited the room, closing the door silently behind her.

* * *

 **AN: Some Ward and Kara BrOTP feels. If you follow my other fanfictions, expect an update on _A Different Path_ tomorrow and _Don't Turn Your Back On The Enemy_ sometime before Sunday.**


	5. Of Powers and Unwanted Visitors

**In which Grant gains a power and gets an unwanted visitor.**

* * *

In all honesty, he really shouldn't have expected things to remain consistent and peaceful. Well, as peaceful as life was while blowing up Hydra bases and trying to help your best friend regain her memory from before being brainwashed.

Kara was doing great in that department. She had her face back, thanks in no small part to a few expert plastic surgeons…and very convincing methods. She remembered what Bobbi Morse had done but, like the amazing person he knew she was, refused to go after her for payback. Also, she was starting to rediscover small things like her favorite ice cream or color.

Mike, who around a month ago had been extremely self-conscious about being a cyborg, was pretty self-confident now. His death glare was more than enough to send people packing if they so much as looked at him the wrong way.

Grant didn't really know how well he was doing. He didn't feel any different. At least, he didn't think he did. His thoughts had shifted slightly. He fully accepted that what John had done to him was nothing more than turn him into a weapon. He didn't save him, he brought him from one hell into another. He had abused a lost fifteen-year-old boy and turned him into an obedient killing machine. And his thoughts were more angry than remorseful in regards to his old team nowadays.

Using their contacts, the ragtag team of three had caught wind of the war between Inhumans and S.H.I.E.L.D. The organization was in disarray after a crate of Terrigen crystals was released into the ocean, courtesy of none other than Skye.

Which was how Grant found himself in the predicament he was in now. He stared down incredulously as a bright red flame licked the tips of his fingers, slowly spreading down his hand. There was no pain. No burning sensation. Nothing. Just an odd sense of completeness and nervousness. And then, they were extinguished.

He glanced up to find Mike and Kara staring at him, eyes wide with disbelief. Briefly, he wondered if they thought of him as a freak now, but the idea was quickly dismissed. They were in this together, no matter what. He was confident they wouldn't leave him.

Finally, Kara raised an eyebrow. "Well…that's new."

"Kara," he snapped, panic evident in his tone, "this is serious."

His friend's expression changed immediately and she was nodding almost comically. "Right. Right. Serious face. No time for jokes."

"What do we do?" asked Mike, calm and controlled.

He had to admire Mike for that. The man was excellent at remaining calm during intense situations. His expression was always neutral when he or anyone else was in a tight spot and he didn't let his emotions overcome him, something that Grant and Kara had had great difficulty doing for months.

He shook his arm, trying to see if he could get his hand to catch fire again, but nothing happened. He swallowed thickly, speaking in a hoarse tone. "We need to keep this on the down-low. We don't have to move our base of operations if S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't find out."

"Right," said Kara cautiously. "One question though. How exactly are we going to keep the fact that you are a, uh, human flamethrower a secret?"

He glared at her, tugging on a brown leather jacket. "I don't know. I don't even know how it happens. We don't know what triggers it. Until we do, we have to stay here. No going after Hydra bases."

"Where are you going?" asked Mike, stepping forward.

"Out," he replied gruffly. "I need to think."

And wasn't that the truth. He was compartmentalizing right now. But he needed to get away, and fast. Because the second he did, he was going to break off into a run and let his legs carry him all the way back to that pond. He had a feeling that he was going to break down the second he got to his destination, but he would let himself. This time, he would. Because he was a hazard to everyone now. Before the abrupt change, he was only a danger to his enemies. Now, he was scared that he could harm his friends.

He opened the door despite their protests, fully intent on staying out until nighttime. He never got the chance to walk out the door though.

Skye stood in front of him, blocking his path. "Hey, Grant," she said softly.

He didn't even register the shock. He didn't register anything really. Instead, his next action surprised even him. His SIG Sauer, which had been tucked into the waistband of his jeans, was in his hand. He raised his arm and backed up, leveling the weapon with her chest. He felt something hot flow in his veins and his stomach flip. He panicked slightly, heartbeat escalating. _What if my powers activate?_ He tried to ignore the clawing feeling in his chest.

"Skye," he replied, mask slipping in place. "I'd step aside if I were you."

He took her in quickly. Her hair was shorter now, falling to the base of her neck. She wore a red plaid long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans. She was different than he remembered. Then again, everyone was different now. He examined her head to toe, checking for any signs of weaponry. He found none. But, he knew she had seismic powers. He'd have to be careful of that.

She raised an eyebrow, expression calm. "You can put the gun down. We both know you aren't going to shoot me," she said confidently.

No, the old Grant Ward would have never shot her. He would have protected her with his dying breath if he had to. He would have run into her arms the second he saw her. But this was the new Grant Ward she was speaking to. And he wasn't as fond of her as she seemed to think. Instead of lowering the gun, a distinctive sound filled the air as he cocked it, expression remaining blank.

Her eyes widened as she stared him down, backing up a step. "You wouldn't." She sounded less sure of herself now.

He raised a challenging eyebrow. "Why not?" he asked, a menacing tone lacing his words.

Kara was silent behind him. He noted Mike's lack of presence. The cyborg must have retreated from the room to start packing their things. _Good. The second Skye leaves, we're booking it._

For some reason, she seemed to regain her composure. Taking a step forward, she looked him in the eyes. "Because you love me," she whispered in a tone that she had used many times before to get him to give her something she wanted.

She was pulling at straws, he could see that. He didn't know why she was here, but he didn't care. She needed his help for something. Grant wasn't going to give it. She must have been really desperate to pull out the 'you love me' card, which he didn't, not anymore. At least, he was pretty sure he didn't.

"I don't love you," he scoffed. "If you were banking on that, you really overestimated my feelings toward you."

He saw the wave of genuine hurt crash through her as her body shrunk inward like she was trying to protect herself. Before everything that happened, he would have ran to her side seeing her like this. Now, he was fueled by every horrible thing she had ever said to him.

 _"I hope Garrett orders you to walk into traffic."_

 _"You are a serial killer."_

 _"You know, you always had that Hitler Youth look to you. So it's really not that surprising."_

 _"Would you tell him he's a disgusting, backstabbing traitor? Or to rot in hell?"_

 _"You should have run faster."_

 _"Never turn your back on the enemy."_

"Back away slowly," he demanded, hand still as he continued to point his gun at her.

She did as he said.

"You're going to walk down that hall, out of this building, and go crawl back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Is that understood?"

Skye nodded, tension and sadness evident in her shoulders, and backed away a few steps before turning around. He knew the unhappy aura that she now possessed was real, but he also knew that she didn't come to make peace with him. She wanted something. And he had to be sure she knew he wasn't going to give it to her. No matter how much it hurt him.

"Hey, Skye!" he called after her retreating form, noting her index finger and thumb pressing against the sides of her watch. Carefully, she turned around. He fired a bullet that whizzed between her legs in warning. He smirked, but inwardly he was screaming. It wasn't fair. Everything that had happened between the both of them wasn't fair. But this was how it turned out, with the both of them enemies. She jumped visibly, shock and fear evident in her features. "Never turn your back on the enemy."

And with that, she backed away, stumbling over herself as she retreated down the hallway. The neighbors were alert too. He heard objects falling, people whispering, and movement.

"What the hell, Grant?" fumed Kara. "You are such an idiot. Now everyone-"

He smirked before cutting her off. "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s been alerted already." At her incredulous expression, he added, "Didn't you see Skye's fingers press against her watch? It's S.H.I.E.L.D. issued. Press a button on the side of the watch. Bam, sends out a distress signal. We gotta go."

He nodded to Mike, who had just re-entered the room, puppy in hand. The cyborg tossed him a backpack filled with necessities before handing Kara one of her own. They each shouldered their respective packs and made their way down the fire escape hurriedly.

"What now?" asked Mike, keeping the dog tucked to his chest.

"If May's leading the team sent out, which she undoubtedly is since she's Skye's S.O., then there's going to be a Quinjet de-cloaking two blocks north of here in approximately forty-five seconds. Which gives us just enough time to head south and escape," notified Grant, feet making contact with concrete as they took off into a sprint.

"Where are we going to go?" questioned Kara.

He glanced at her as they hotwired an SUV, smirking as he raised an eyebrow. "I heard Starling City's quite nice this time of year."


End file.
